A complement for a better change
by Gravenimage
Summary: My response to Toasty Warrior's Bench scene challenge short NS one shot what if Naruto decides not to transform into Sasuke and face Sakura as himself?


A complement for a better change

Disclaimer: you know it already I don't own Naruto it belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Authors Notes: I guess this will be my third one shot and it's of course a Naru/Saku story. It will be a response to Toasty Warrior's bench scene challenge so it's obviously about the famous bench scene from chapter 3 which it was the first Naru/Saku moment in the manga (ignoring the biased argument that it was a Sasu/Saku moment due of Naruto transforming into Sasuke). I have added one big twist in this one shot you will obviously find out and no I will not continue this one shot sorry so feel free to leave a review. Remember that flames will be ignored and deleted so please don't waste your time writing it you'll be wasting my time too.**

**Bold letters inner Sakura speaking**

_Italics are thoughts I finally decided to do this._

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(Location: downtown section Konoha hidden leaf village fire country territory)

Uzumaki Naruto was happily walking the streets heading towards his destination. The twelve year old who has recently became a genin graduating on the genin exams for learning the shadow clone jutsu was truly happy heading to a place where are a couple of stone benches not too far from the ninja academy. His plan was truly going to work because the first part of his plan has already succeeded he smirk remembering what happened a couple of minutes ago. He has managed to fool the one and only rookie of the year Uchiha Sasuke, he tied him up and used a transformation technique to looked like him. So here he was standing looking like the Uchiha ready to fulfill the second part of his plan he was going to visit his crush and the girl he has been interested for so long, Haruno Sakura. A kunoichi who has also become a genin but she was truly gifted with high smarts and scoring the highest scores in the academy.

He smiled thinking about the pink haired genin however it was bad for him that she was Sasuke's number one fan girl alongside her former best friend and now rival Yamanaka Ino. It really annoyed him that she likes the Uchiha he just didn't understood why she or the rest of his fan club so in him. He was anti social, always brooding, and rarely says a word to the blond he was just an emo boy. Sure he was a prodigy with talented ninja skills he was the academy's rookie of the year for nothing but most importantly he was his rival. He had what he wanted respect and acknowledgement from everyone in the village and even Sakura's affections he had no time to be thinking about him. He turned attention to his plan at hand his intentions were to go to Sakura he already knew where she was. He has become teammates with the pink haired kunoichi along with the emo Uchiha becoming team seven, he gave a smile thinking about his plan.

"_Hehe I just know Sakura-chan is going to be very happy…."_

He has come to know the pink haired teen for a while since he has meet her back when they were six and although those were the times he had a live a true painful life, he has experienced worst pain before. Not the glares from the villagers or them ignoring him like he wasn't there at all, he did just found out a couple of days ago that he was the container of the nine tails demon fox thanks to Mizuki who told him the night he made him steal the scroll of forbidden sealing. Of course it hurt him a lot to find out the truth of his treatment at the hands of the villagers but there was a pain he has felt even worse than been hated by everyone. It was the pain of seeing Sakura being teased when she was little because of the size of her forehead even if he didn't see anything wrong with it by the other kids, he hated that so much. He felt so bad whenever she was teased that she eventually ended up crying because of the teasing he really wanted to be there for her.

But he couldn't due that the kids were told by their parents to never talk to him, to ignore him no matter what. Sakura was told the same and since they started at the academy she didn't like him she thought he was annoying and she will usually hit him for being an idiot. It hurt him that she felt that way about him but with this plan he knew he will make her feel happy and better with herself. No matter how badly she might think of him he will do anything for her, as long as he can make her smile it was enough for him. His plan was telling her that her forehead is charming and he would like to kiss it, obviously he will tell her that disguised as Sasuke. He knew a compliment about her forehead is what she has always wanted especially from the Uchiha she has a big crush on, this will lift her confidence and her determination that she was pretty and that she has a chance at winning his heart.

He suddenly stopped walking realizing something important about his plan it was like a big revelation to him. If he did gave Sakura the complement as Sasuke she will be happy but eventually she might get heartbroken if she ever finds out the truth and of course the Uchiha would never give her such complement, because he's an emo who only thinks about himself. Sakura might come to stop believing he told her that but he wanted to make her feel better about herself to gain some to boost her self esteem and don't feel any shame about her forehead. He has never seen any flaws in her she was very smart and she was good at memorizing things it was the reason why he was risking pretending to be the Uchiha so maybe she can have a chance in being happy with him. But by now he was starting to have second thoughts, doubt was filling his mind.

"_Am I doing the right thing….?"_

He was no longer feeling so confident in his plan anymore feeling a little selfish that Sasuke didn't deserve to have someone like Sakura, not caring that she likes him for his good looks and talented skills. The Uchiha has never paid any attention to his fan girl club he was always ignoring them thinking that they are nothing but a nuisance. He has finally made up his mind he couldn't go through with this no matter how much he wants to make the pink haired genin happy, he had another plan on his mind. Doubt got back to him that it wasn't a good idea and it wasn't going to have any good results if he go through with it, unlike me his previous plan he was willing to risk it.

"_I hope I can do this, I just know Sakura-chan won't like it."_

POOF!

Naruto has changed back from his Sasuke disguise returning to his original self. Wearing his orange jumpsuit with his leaf headband on his forehead his messy spiky blond hair and whisker marks on his cheeks along with his cerulean eyes. His new plan was basically the same as before only difference that instead of transforming into the Uchiha he will say the words to Sakura as himself, as Uzumaki Naruto. He sighed the plan was a bad idea the pink haired kunoichi won't like it she will probably get angry at him since she doesn't like him, by the end of the day he might get clobbered by the rosette. He remained in deep thought before he left full of determination he's not going to back down from this, he will see it till the very end. He knew the exact words to say like he could read Sakura like she was an open book he resumed his walking heading to her location, having an idea where she could be.

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(Scene change)

Sakura was sitting in one of the stone benches looking all gloom her day couldn't have gotten worst. First she was put in the same genin team with Naruto whom she thought he was annoying always getting in her way to get Sasuke. But it wasn't so bad because the Uchiha was in the same team too, so not everything was bad for her. Her biggest problem was that now she was in the same team as her crush she didn't know how she was going to get his attention much less wins his affections. She thought of herself as not the prettiest flower in the garden compare to the other girls from the academy, from the Sasuke fan girl club. She promised to herself that she wasn't going to lose to Ino in winning the Uchiha, her now rival even if deep inside she envy the Yamanaka. During their childhood she was below the blond she was popular and smart she shy and insecure, it did made her happy that she was the one that gave her courage to be herself and win over friends.

The truth is that she was jealous of her former best friend she was popular, smart and pretty she had some self esteem issues considering herself not being pretty. Her pink was hair which made her into a weirdo because she was the only girl in the leaf village with such hair color, although it does fit well with her name. It annoyed her that her parents none of them had pink hair and she has to be the only one to have cherry blossom colored hair she didn't know if she was lucky or just with plain bad luck. As for her forehead that was the one part of her body she hated the most she was tormented in the past by the other kids, she was smart that was her only good trait. However not everyone thought the same there was only two people who thought otherwise Ino was the first she tried to convinced her that she was pretty and to believe in herself. She has gained some confidence in herself because of the Yamanaka but the second person was the one who gave a big boost to her self esteem.

She thought about the annoying prankster Naruto sure he was really annoying in her view but she owed him a lot. He was the only boy who liked her she knew he had a crush on her and for that, instead of feeling disgusted she was flattered. Since the whiskered blond thought she was pretty she really believed she was pretty, what was more important to her was the opinion of a boy than a girl's anyway. Her self esteem grew as she was continuously been asked on dates by the blond obviously she did turned him down telling him no all the time but she was still flattered that he will only ask her on dates instead of asking other girls from the academy. If she did agreed in going out with him Sasuke might get upset with her for choosing the dead last over a prodigy like himself, at least that's what she believed. She didn't paid attention to the hateful glares the adults gave Naruto she obviously thought that they didn't like him because he was a prankster and annoying, she never gave it too much thought. She sighed thinking about her big problem in how to win the Uchiha's heart him been in the same team with her was the chance she was looking for to finally have his affections.

"_What am I going to do?" _she gave another sigh_" I don't think I'm pretty enough to win over Sasuke-kun, I'm flat and I don't have any curves whatsoever. The only thing I have in large proportions is my huge forehead."_

She touched her forehead glaring in anger for having it_" I hate my forehead!"_

"_I really wish Sasuke-kun would….."_ she suddenly smiled with a blush on her cheeks imagining what she always wanted the Uchiha to tell her, it was her ultimate dream.

"_**Sakura you have such a charming wide forehead it makes me want to kiss it."**_

"_**Yes Sasuke-kun kiss it….kiss my forehead."**_

She frowned seeing reality making her dream shattered into millions of pieces_" yeah right that would never happen….only in a fairy tale."_

Her jade eyes widened slightly realizing she wasn't alone looking in front of her she spotted someone leaning on a tree. She frowned looking at Naruto this was the last thing she needed right now she was already having a hard time how to win over Sasuke, now the dead last comes to bug her as always. But she was quick to notice that something was different about him he didn't looked like his annoying loud self, she has taken noticed to the way he was looking at her. The whiskered blond was smiling at her so sweetly in a very affectionate way it was completely out of character for the blond knucklehead when he will usually yell at her telling her to go on a date with him. He kept smiling staring at her while his cerulean eyes were showing so much devotion and affection it was clearly that he was looking at her his expression was only meant for her. He was hoping this will work and that nothing goes wrong.

"_Here goes nothing…."_

Sakura however wasn't annoyed at Naruto's presence or even get angry for breaking her thoughts in trying to win over Sasuke's heart. She has stood frozen in her place since she saw the blond her jade eyes were widen and her cheeks were covered by a red shade, which she was obviously blushing. She didn't know why her heart started acting weird for reasons unknown to her, it started skipping a beat. There was something at the way he was looking at her that was making her melt on the spot she loved the way he was looking at her, she kept on gazing at him like she was captivated by his expression.

"_What is Naruto….the way his staring at me, it feels like his eyes are staring deep into my soul. I have never seen him looking at me like that before."_

"**Shannaro I can't help it he looks so cute!" **inner Sakura gave a squeal.

The pink haired genin finally got back to her senses frowning at her teammate she gave him an annoyed look" what do you want Naruto?"

The blond didn't answered he only winked at her keeping his expression it only made the pink haired kunoichi blushed at his sudden bold move. Trying his best to make himself look very cool like Sasuke would he kept his affectionate smile while staring at her jade orbs he was finally ready to say those words he has always wanted to tell her, it was exactly what she wanted to be said from the Uchiha but never from him.

Sakura was back to normal frowning getting upset for his cool attitude she asked again" what do you want Naruto baka?"

The blond gave her a true heartwarming smile" Sakura-chan you have such a charming wide forehead it makes me want to kiss it."

She was shocked at his comment" what….?"

She stood seated on the bench without saying another word did she just heard right. Like he has read her mind Naruto has told her what she always wanted to hear but she was expecting to hear it from her crush, not the dead last. For a moment she stood in deep thought processing the information she just heard her brain processed it over and over again, and she still couldn't believe it. The same annoying boy who was always pulling pranks has just complemented her on her worst feature and even if it came from someone like him, she felt happy. She blushed slightly but she shrugged it off she completely ignored the unknown feelings along with the explanation to why her heart was beating so fast. She suddenly became upset this was Naruto he could be doing all of this just for fun it could be one of his pranks. She was outraged thinking that he was just playing with her feelings like they mean nothing, her sudden expression has alarmed the whiskered blond.

"Naruto this better not be one of your sick jokes or I swear I will punch you into next day!"

"No Sakura-chan it's not I promise I'm not kidding I mean every word honest" he quickly replied taking a couple of steps towards her, carefully due that she was upset.

She frowned at him" you think it's funny to mess with a girl's feelings?"

"I told you I'm not kidding I was telling you the truth you have to believe me!"

"Hmph….baka" she muttered turned her head away from him so he didn't saw the blush that has struck her cheeks again.

He scratched the back of his head not understanding her reaction at all he was expecting she will be very happy, but of course if it was Sasuke she will obviously be jumping for joy.

"Can I seat next to you Sakura-chan?" he really hoped she will say yes, hoping that his complement has softened her up enough to accept his request.

"Just don't seat too close" she replied with a frown she was still feeling uneasy about the complement.

"Okay…."

He got seated next to the rosette blushing a little this was probably the closest he has ever got seated to his crush.

"Start talking Naruto why did you say that?" she finally looked at him her jade eyes were on him showing anger.

"Why are you angry Sakura-chan?" he took a step back getting at the corner of the bench.

"Tell me why….just tell me why you said that?" her eyes started getting teary.

The whiskered blond smile finally telling her his reason" I guess I wanted to…."

"What?"

"I….I always wanted to say that to you. I know you have always hated your forehead I remember how the kids used to treat you they were constantly picking on you and teasing you because of the size of your forehead."

Sakura stood quiet in deep thought remembering her childhood her tormented days when she was teased by the kids before she met Ino. She felt happy that Naruto felt that way about her sometimes he wasn't as annoying as she thought he was really a good person she was really grateful to him. For a moment she hoped that Sasuke would feel this way about her or that he acted the same way as the blond with her, but she knew that wasn't the case. Her eyes were on him again she could see the honesty reflected in his cerulean orbs. She felt herself blushing again feeling embarrassed to say a word to him but the important thing she felt better with herself that someone didn't dislike her for the size of her forehead.

"Naruto….thanks" she gave a small smile at the blond.

The blond genin gave her a big smile" no problem Sakura-chan don't ever feel down because the size of your forehead to me I don't see nothing wrong with it. I have always thought your forehead is very beautiful."

Sakura was shocked" what?"

Naruto gasped seeing her reaction" what Sakura-chan I haven't said nothing wrong?"

"What you just said right now?" her shocked hasn't left her face.

"That I never saw nothing wrong with your forehead I always thought it's pretty, I always wanted to kiss it" he didn't realized what he just said his mouth has caught up before his brain register the information.

The pink haired genin was still shocked at his words_" he thinks my forehead is pretty….he always wanted to kiss it….?"_

She couldn't be any more shock than she already is every word that the blond has just said were been repeated in her head over and over again. Her brain was able to process the information clearly before she realized that the person seated next to her was someone she didn't knew at all. Her view over Naruto was now questionable after everything he has told her this wasn't the same annoying knucklehead she has come to know, or the same dead last for the matter. His words and the fact that she felt so happy and flattered because of him it made her realized how much she has misjudged him he wasn't the person she thought he was.

"_Is this really Naruto….?"_

Naruto has noticed that she was no longer angry at him but the way she was staring at him made him wondered what was wrong with her. She was shocked but her cheeks were red he thought that she could be sick right now nothing mattered to him. The rosette wasn't upset with him for telling her how he feels of her forehead he blushed for a moment maybe he can do what he always wanted to do to the pink haired kunoichi. He gathered some courage to go through with it he really hoped she will accept and not hit him for thinking something like that.

"Sakura-chan….if you want to I would like to….you know if it's all right with you if I can kiss your forehead?" he gave a goofy grin with a blush on his cheeks.

"Kiss my forehead….?" She blushed at the sudden comment.

"Yeah don't ever feel bad about it and don't let anyone tell you otherwise, your forehead goes well with your pretty face" he gave his fox grin.

"_He really thinks I'm pretty he really likes my forehead I….Naruto."_

By now she didn't care that Sasuke wasn't the one who will get the chance to tell what she always dreamed off because someone else has made her dream come true. Somehow it didn't made her angry that it wasn't the Uchiha but Naruto of all people it goes to show her how much he knew about her, and yet she hardly knew him at all. If she agreed it will only raised his hopes that she might like him and accept going on a date with him even if inner Sakura didn't minded the offer after what he had just told her. Right now she was yearning for that kiss that will forever change her opinion on her forehead and her inner self didn't minded that he gets to kiss it. After all he was the one that complemented her worst feature the least she could do is let him kiss it it's what both wanted for a long time.

"_What's wrong with me why do I feel this way….Naruto why is my heart beating so fast?"_

The whiskered blond got worried at her expression" Sakura-chan you okay?"

"Yes I guess…."

"Look it's all right I understand if you don't want to…."

"Yes Naruto."

"Huh?"

"It's okay you can kiss my forehead" the rosette felt embarrassed.

"What come again Sakura-chan?" replied the baffled Naruto.

She sighed" I said yes Naruto, you can kiss my forehead."

"What no way."

She quickly frowned at him" but don't get any ideas this doesn't change a thing between us. Just because I'm going to let you kiss my forehead it doesn't mean I will like you, I like Sasuke-kun."

"Sure thing Sakura-chan!" the blond genin was very happy.

"_I can't believe it I'm really going to kiss Sakura-chan's forehead this feels like a dream…."_

"_I must be crazy to agree to this….this is Naruto I…I want Sasuke-kun to kiss my forehead but I…."_

"**Shannaro yes Naruto kiss my forehead, kiss my beautiful forehead!" **

She stood facing him waiting for the incoming kiss as Naruto has closed his eyes poking his lips ready to claim a kiss on Sakura's charming wide forehead. He slowly approached his destination while the pink haired genin was blushing feeling her heart has increased speed the unknown feelings were getting stronger, yet she didn't know what they could mean or what they were all about. She didn't know why she closed her eyes when she felt Naruto's lips touching her forehead and that was enough for her to felt truly happy in a long time since she became friends with Ino. His lips were warm it felt so good and she suddenly felt her self esteem and confidence rising into high levels she didn't care anymore if it wasn't Sasuke but it was someone who thought she was pretty and had a pretty forehead. She suddenly felt like she no longer hated her wide forehead the whiskered blonds' has made her think that way.

Naruto felt like he was in heaven as she finished kissing the forehead of the girl he has always like, he wanted to kiss it forever but he knew this was a once in a life time opportunity. He would never get another chance like this one because Sakura wasn't going to let him kiss it a second time but to him it still felt like he was dreaming. It made him jump in joy whenever he realized that this was real and there was no need to dream the moment it has already happened he opened his eyes looking at the rosette who was still feeling the effects of his lips kissing her forehead. She stood blushing looking at him with an expression that made the blond genin wondered what was wrong with he, he was dense after all. She was looking at him so much affection however it wasn't going to last for too long because she has finally reacted acting based on her natural instincts.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto got nervous seeing that she has gotten angry all of the sudden.

WHAM!

She smacked him silly making him fall to the ground on his butt with a big lump on his head.

"Baka!" she shouted still blushing before he left the bench running away.

"_I knew it I should have transformed into Sasuke" _Naruto had a comical expression on his face.

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(Scene change)

Sakura has run so fast she was already in the village district she felt so bad with herself for hitting Naruto. She couldn't help it because she was too embarrassed to do anything about it she has probably experienced her first romantic moment and it wasn't with Sasuke. But at least her self esteem and confidence have been given a huge boost thanks to the whiskered blond and best of all she no longer see him as someone annoying. She knew she will have to apologize to him for hitting him he didn't had it coming it was her fault today was a great day for her. She has become close with someone who was now a potential friend although she still didn't know what were these subconscious feelings whenever she was around Naruto, she will have to find out on her own to find the answer.

"_I should be nicer to him from now on I will never forget what he did for me, I will repay him by giving him a complement too."_

She smiled walking the streets of the village heading to her home she needed to prepare herself because tomorrow she was meeting her teacher and joinin who will be in charge of team seven. She smiled thinking of the blond not realizing that her cheeks were red remembering his words she has never felt so good about herself or being alive in a long time.

"_The next time I see Naruto I will tell him that he's a kind hearted person."_

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_**Fin**_

**There you have it my third one shot I hope you all like it especially you Toasty Warrior. This is probably the first story I have given a K rating so everyone from all ages can read it. Remember to review if you like it and just for everyone to know I have started writing chapter 28 from am I worthy to love you it will probably be finish by the end of the month or maybe less. **


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